Liturgical books

The books required for the celebration of the Church's divine services are specific to each ecclesial tradition. The following books are those belonging to the Byzantine liturgical tradition that is the normal usage of the Eastern Orthodox Churches. There are some differences between the Greek and Slavic traditions within the larger Byzantine tradition, and these will be indicated below in the sections covering the relevant books. The Greek name of each book is given first, followed with the Slavonic name in parentheses.

Apostolos (Apostol)

The Apostolos ('book of the apostle'), also called the Epistle Lectionary, is the book containing prescribed readings from the Acts of the Apostles and the Epistles, arranged according to the Orthodox liturgical year. The lections are used in the first scripture reading in the Divine Liturgy, usually called the Epistle reading. This lectionary often includes the prokeimena and alleluias that are sung before and after the epistle reading, respectively.

Archieratikon (Tchinovnik)

The Archieratikon ("book for the bishop," also spelled Arkhieratikon), is the bishop's liturgical service book. It is used in celebrating a Hierarchical Divine Liturgy, having pontifical editions of the Divine Liturgies of St. John Chrysostom and St. Basil the Great, as well as the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, and other episcopal services, such as ordinations.

Evangelion (Evangelie)

Also known as the Tetraevangelion, the Evangelion is the Book of Gospels, usually arranged by the pericopes appointed to be read throughout the liturgical year. It is generally kept on the altar table in a metal case decorated with icons of the evangelists; tradition forbids the use of animal skin on the altar table.

Menaia (Mineya)

The Menaia ("books of the months") is the collection of twelve books (each a Menaion), one for each month of the calendar year, containing the propers for the immovable feasts and the saints' days falling in that month.

Octoechos (Oktoikh)

Octoechos ("book of the eight tones") refers to two books containing the common of the cycle of liturgical services relating to the eight tones—The Great Octoechos (Parakletike, "book of supplication") and an abridged version of it called the Little Octoechos, which contains only the materials for Sundays.

Small Euchologion (Trebnik)

Also known as the Book of Needs, the Small Euchologion (mikron euchologion or agiasmatarion, "book of blessings") usually contains the forms for the mysteries (sacraments) other than the Eucharist and ordination.

Lenten Triodion (Postnaya Triod)

The Lenten Triodion ('book of the three odes') contains the propers from the beginning of the pre-Lenten season (the Sunday of the Publican and Pharisee, the 10th Sunday before Pascha) until Holy Saturday.

Typikon (Ustav)

The Typikon (also spelled as Typicon) is the "book of directives and rubrics, which regulate the order of the divine services for each day of the year. It presupposes the existence of other liturgical books which contain the fixed and variable parts of these services. In the strict monastic sense, the Typikon of the monastery includes both the rule of life of the community as well as the rule of prayer." [1]

Typikon Translation Project, a project to translate the St. Sabbas Typikon into English. includes a scan of the Typikon in Greek and Slavonic.